Before the Night Will End
by firerose9318
Summary: Set during Day One of the GMG. Why did Gray and Lucy take such a long time getting to that party? Everyone mocks Juvia for her overactive daydreams. But the truth is more unbelievable than any of them could have imagined.


A/N: Debated if I should upload this since it's probably been done many times, but what the hell. Graylu fans deserve more fics. The timeline is slightly tweaked so that Lucy doesn't go back to the stadium after her game, and the Lucy/Flare match just takes a harder toll on her in general. Also, this contains quite some mature content so be warned.

* * *

_And why mess up a good thing baby?__  
__It's a risk to even fall in love__  
__So when you give that look to me__  
__I better look back carefully_

* * *

Gray laid face down on the hotel bed, listening to his least favorite sound in the world.

The day had started off so promising. Fairy Tail managed to get not one, but two of their teams into the final ten of the grand magic games. They were going to begin their incredible comeback, and reclaim the glory lost over the past seven years. They were supposed to win, dammit.

Then Sabertooth and Raven Tail showed up. The Fairy Tail members knew Sabertooth would be formidable rivals, but nothing could have prepared Gray for Rufus's memory make magic. In one move, Rufus had swept the first round, netting his guild first place. But that wasn't all - For some reason, Raven Tail's Nalpudding only focused on attacking Gray. He was the first competitor to represent his team, and he couldn't win them a single point. Despite his best efforts, the screen showing the scoreboard kept flashing in his head, reminding him of what he was worth today. A big, fat zero.

But the only thing that made Gray feel worse than his own loss, was Lucy's.

Natsu had relayed him the story before leaving the hotel. Admittedly, he'd probably left out the grislier details of how she got attacked, but Gray couldn't blame him for not wanting to go through it a second time. Lucy was fighting Flare of Raven Tail, and she started off with impressive double spirit summons. Gray wanted to kick himself for missing it. Then, she'd countered Flare's hair attacks and finally cast Urano Metria, the ultimate celestial magic. But Raven Tail had cheated and nullified Lucy's spell.

Now, he waited for her to come out. Thirty minutes passed, and he could still hear her loud sobs coming from the shower. It was unbearable to listen to, and Gray had just about enough. He pushed himself off the bed, made his way to the hotel bathroom, and rapped on the wooden door.

"Hey Lucy, you drowning yourself in there?" he asked.

For a moment, he heard no response and contemplated barging in to see if she was actually okay. But then the sound of running water stopped, and a minute later, a puffy-eyed Lucy opened the door. She was fully dressed but had a towel wrapped around her head, and one draped over her shoulders.

"Hey" she muttered, not looking at him.

"Hey" He hesitated, not knowing what else to say. Comforting weepy girls had never been his strong suit. "Everyone else is partying at the bar, are you interested? We could forget about all of this…this bullshit that happened today." For him, a few drinks would be all he really needed. But he got the feeling Lucy needed a different outlet right now.

"I don't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "You should go though, don't wait up for me." She wandered over to her bed and stared as if debating to crawl under the sheets and not come out.

He chuckled. "If I wanted to leave you like this I would have done so an hour ago". He would have loved to go drink with his friends and finally put the entire, miserable, dumpster fire of a day behind him. But making Lucy smile wasn't a bad trade-off. If she felt better, at least one thing would go right today. He'd let her cry holes into all his shirts if that was what it took. Since chugging hard liquor and dancing on tables were out, he tried a different tactic.

He followed her and stood behind her, putting a hand on the towel over her shoulder. "I heard you were incredible today. I'm sorry I wasn't there to witness it."

At last, she turned and her eyes met his, and he saw a mixture of hope and anguish behind her glazed tears. Lucy blinked and released one sniff, then wiped her watery eyes and runny nose with the towel.

"Thank you," she said, her voice hoarse but grateful.

He gently bought his fingertips to her cheek and tucked away a stray piece of hair that had fallen in front of her face. "You're a remarkable celestial wizard. You're damn smart," he continued. "You don't deserve to be so down on yourself." Unlike him, she'd lost due to circumstances outside her control. The more he thought about it, the more he aspired to hunt down Obra and punch him in his blue, slimy face.

She sighed and unwrapped the towel around her head, throwing it on the bed and letting damp hair fall in waves around her face. "Everyone keeps saying that Gray. But you weren't there, you didn't hear the crowd screaming insults as I left the arena. You didn't hear how loud they were. You couldn't feel as powerless as I did having my magic dissipated from my own hands. For seven years Fairy Tail fought for us, and I couldn't…I couldn't thank them. I should've fought harder. I disappointed everyone" Fresh tears welled up in her eyes and she suddenly stepped forward and threw herself into Gray's arms.

"I'm sorry…," she moaned, her voice coming out muffled from his chest.

Gray was taken aback but quickly pulled her in tighter, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. "You have nothing to apologize for," he said firmly. He hated seeing girls cry, but especially Lucy. Seeing her miserable created the sensation of a burning knife inside him, twisting in his heart.

"We're so proud of you, Luce. No one blames you for what happened. And like you said to me…it's only the first day. We're Fairy Tail wizards, we'll bounce back from this. I promise you." He buried one hand in her hair and the other moved in gentle strokes down her back.

As Gray cradled her, he felt a small flutter in his heart that had nothing to do with the excitement of the games, or the intense pressure of representing Fairy Tail, and everything that had to do with the endearing girl in front of him.

He stood there for a moment hugging her, breathing in the fruity scent of her hair, and deliberating over their relationship. Lucy had always been extremely attractive. She also happened to have a heart of gold, an exceptionally sharp mind, and sometimes even a feisty temper. She was everything he could have ever asked for in a partner. But he knew it would be wrong to take advantage of her while she was in a vulnerable state. Nothing was supposed to happen between them, there was too much on the line – their friendship, their team, Juvia probably poisoning Lucy if she ever found out. Who even knew if she even had the slightest inclination to see him that way? With Natsu being so close to the both of them, they were practically cursed from the beginning, he thought resignedly.

Finally, she looked up at him, her arms still entwined around his back. Her last few tears and wet hair had dripped onto his shirt. Oh well, he would take it off at some point during the night anyway.

"Thank you," she whispered. She smiled and wiped her eyes. "I needed that."

"It's nothing," he said, smiling back. He patted her on the shoulder and she winced slightly. "Hold on, are you still hurt?" he asked, alarmed.

"It's nothing-" she insisted.

However, before she could protest Gray stripped off the towel that she'd draped over her shoulders. He drew a sharp intake of breath as he noticed harsh stripes of red skin over her chest and arms. He'd dueled enough with Natsu to know immediately that they were burn marks. Her eyes went wide as she saw the bandages around his knuckles from beating a brick wall in frustration.

"Flare did this to you." No wonder she'd been in the shower for so long.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked, her voice cracking with worry.

"Forget my damn hand. You've got at least two dozen first-degree burns all over you. How badly did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine, really," she insisted. "I'm just glad nothing happened to Asuka"

"Asuka? What do you mean? Did someone try to ambush her like they did with Wendy?" he asked. It didn't make sense. Asuka was by far, the most harmless member of Fairy Tail. Unless...he thought, getting a foreboding feeling in his stomach.

"They didn't tell you about that?" asked Lucy, tilting her head.

When he shook his head no, Lucy proceeded to tell him the entire story, unfiltered, her voice progressively getting hoarser from choking back buried rage. How the fight was going well until Flare cheated and took hostage one of their tiniest, most vulnerable guild members. How she'd been restrained and suffered burns over most of her body. How Natsu finally rescued Asuka, only for Obra to nullify Lucy's spell at the last moment.

"WHAT?!" roared Gray. Natsu never mentioned that part to him. Forgetting about everything else - the bar, the inn, Lucy - he tore off his shirt and sprinted towards the door. He knew the dark guild had cheated, but he didn't know the extent of their offenses, or how much torment they'd put Lucy though. He'd start with Flare and take a razor blade to her mop of hair, then shove a branch up Obra's nose. It didn't matter; he would deal with every last one of them.

"Hey wait! Where are you going? You can't just roam around the city naked!" protested Lucy, following him. She grasped his arm tightly before he could reach the doorknob.

"Let go, Lucy!" he barked, pulling his arm away. Her grip was intense, and she was even digging her feet into the carpet to prevent his escape. He growled and said, "I need to go to beat those bastards to a bloody pulp".

"Absolutely not!" she cried, tugging his arm even harder. He was actually struggling to inch closer to the door. Did this girl pump iron in her free time or something?

He turned to face her and met with an expression that was half anger, half worry. He sighed in annoyance and stopped struggling against her grip. She took the opportunity to grab his other arm as well. They now stood facing each other, three steps from the doorway.

"Gray, please," she demanded with wide eyes. "It's not worth it. We're going to beat them tomorrow, okay? We'll beat them during the games, where it counts. Going after them now is only going to get you arrested."

Gray stood there with Lucy still holding on to him, taking deep breaths. The idea of using children as bait in a magic competition made him sick to his stomach. Beating them in the games wasn't enough revenge for him. Yet he knew it would be fruitless to try to storm Raven Tail tonight with Lucy there. Instead, he turned his attention to the only thing he could fix tonight – her injuries.

"Fine. I won't go there tonight," he said, cautiously pulling his arms away. "But you need to get this looked at. Did you talk to Wendy?"

"Yeah, she cast a temporary pain relief spell on me right after my match ended. She also gave me a potion Porlyusica prescribes for burns."

"And have you taken it?" asked Gray, raising one eyebrow.

"No," she muttered, hanging her head.

"Why not?"

She cracked a smile and joked, "I was busy trying to wash away the scent of failure, remember?"

"You shouldn't punish yourself-"

"I know, I know, you want me to take care of myself," she interjected and smiled warmly at him. "I know my friends care about me. I'll drink it now, okay?"

As if to prove it, she meandered to the dresser where a small, glass vial sat on top. In it, there was a bright, cherry red potion. She drank the potion in a single gulp and remained standing in front of the mirror.

"Ugh…competitions really make you look gross," she muttered, resting her chin on her hand and gazing at her frazzled reflection.

Gray shrugged and followed her over to the dresser. Her wounds appeared all over her body in bands, from her shoulders to her ankles. In his opinion, they didn't keep her from being pretty.

"You still look nice to me. Does it feel any better yet?" he asked.

She frowned and examined her wrists. "No, it'll take a while to kick in," she said, gingerly pressing the joint area and wincing.

A sudden idea came to Gray. He could help her…but only if she allowed him. "Hey Luce…I wanna try something, okay? To help with the pain," he said.

"Um, okay?" she said, staring at him quizzically.

He channeled his ice magic to his palm, taking care to only cool it down, and not form any ice crystals. Putting ice directly on them could cause frostbite and skin damage.

"Those are some nasty burns," he said. He searched her upper body for the worst of the damage and decided it was at her wrist. The skin there was raw and peeling there, and he deduced Flare must have restrained her. He gently pressed his palm to the scorch mark on her wrist and gaged her reaction.

Lucy was still for a moment, then tilted her head backward in relief.

"Mmm...that actually helps," she said, beginning to smile. His heart skipped a beat. He brushed her hair aside and started to lightly massage the swollen areas on her shoulders. They stood in front of the dresser mirror for a few seconds, both silent and staring at their own reflections so close to each other.

Lucy's eyes traveled to his hands caressing her shoulder, and for one terrifying second Gray thought he'd crossed some sort of line. But then she looked back at him.

"Would you do that for all of them?" she asked, her voice cautious and hopeful.

Gray mentally gave a sigh of relief. "Of course," he replied.

For once, he was grateful for the constant fights with Natsu, because they'd made him at an expert at cooling off burns. He smiled cautiously and tugged on her hand, indicating they move towards the bed so she could sit. Once she sat down, he shuffled towards his suitcase that was lying on the floor.

"I keep some aloe vera lotion on me at all times," he explained, rummaging through his clothes until he found the plastic bottle. He grabbed it and sat back up on the bed behind Lucy.

She seemed to understand the reason why. "So that's why your hands are so soft," she teased.

Rubbing some into his hands, he focused the cold into his palms again and began massaging Lucy's arms. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as she closed her eyes and smiled. Sometimes he forgot how pretty Lucy could be. Even in dim light, with pink scorch marks all over her body. She looked so soft and ingenuous he wanted to wrap his arms around her and never allow anyone to hurt her again. He shook his head as if to get rid of the thought. Lucy wasn't like that – her scars came from daunting battles and heroic adventures. He remembered his own, similar scar on his forehead from Galuna Island.

Gray swept her long, blonde hair away over her shoulders so he could work on them next. He could smell the fruity shampoo she used again and shifted closer. Inhaling the scent even deeper, he slowly rubbed her shoulders, letting her enjoy the brilliant cooling sensations he was imparting on her skin.

"Gray?" asked Lucy, in a quiet voice.

"Hmm?" he said, nervously jerking his hands away from her back, where he had started to knead his thumbs.

"Oh no, you can keep going," she said, turning her head slightly. He could spot the corner of a smile. "I was wondering…are you still upset about your own match?"

The truth was, both the news about Raven Tail cheating and the fact that they were now in such close proximity had driven his own game right out of his head. Losing not one, but two of their first rounds filled Gray with a determination he didn't even know he had.

"No," he said. His fingers lightly brushed against her red bra strap as he finished working on her shoulders. His match was ancient history now, and if anything, he was going to make sure he didn't repeat his mistakes. "I'm looking forward to kickin' their asses next time. Why do you ask?"

Lucy turned her head halfway so she was leaning her body into his, and her face was so close that Gray froze and caught his breath. "You're doing a lot to make me feel better. I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do for you," she said. Her amber eyes met his own indigo ones, and in that unspoken moment he knew, she would truly fulfill anything he desired. For one fleeting second, he thought of closing the distance between them, asking for the forbidden.

He shook off the idea promptly, not wanting to go down a road of trouble. One simple request floated to the top of his mind above everything else. "Don't cry on me again," he said, giving her a small smile.

She smiled back and quickly turned away, but Gray swore he caught a crimson blush forming on her cheeks. They sat there for a moment in silence. He tried to see if there were any other burns he hadn't treated but found none. That was it, all of her upper body that wasn't covered. He felt a pang of sadness in his chest when he realized their time together was likely coming to a close.

"Hey, what's going on? Why'd you stop? I still have some painful burns, you know!" said Lucy in an annoyed tone.

The words seemed to pour out of his mouth without caution. "You'll need to take off your clothes for that, princess."

Immediately, his eyes popped open and he froze in place. What was he thinking? It would be no surprise if Lucy turned around and clocked him. He hadn't even meant to call her a princess, it was only that he was currently treating her like one.

A long sigh escaped her lips. It seemed to happen in slow motion for Gray – her hands reached down and grasped the bottom of her tank top, then she pulled it up over her head. Underneath, a lacy, burgundy-colored bra peeked out from behind her blonde hair.

He stopped to blink at her exposed backside for a minute, until she finally turned around, stared at him expectantly, and said, "Well? It's not like you're seeing anything you haven't before."

He stumbled and reached the lotion bottle for another helping of aloe vera. True, he'd seen her in less clothing than that, even naked before, but not in this kind of setting. This time, they were alone together and she was merely inches away, almost sitting on him. It was enough to make even an ice mage sweat.

Inhaling a deep breath, he channeled magic energy into his palms again. _Try not to think about what's underneath, try not to think about what's underneath_…he mentally repeated to himself. His hands moved with skill and caressed the new parts of herself she'd exposed to him – they skirted along the area underneath her bra fasteners, traveled along the sides of her stomach, trailed down her spine. As he dug his fingers into the little dimples on her lower back, he swore he heard Lucy let out a soft moan. She was not making his mantra any easier.

Clenching his teeth, he changed his focus to the front of her body. It was tricky to treat her burns there since he couldn't see what was going on. A giggle escaped Lucy's mouth and she squirmed when he touched her stomach. Gray supposed she must be ticklish and hurriedly focused on finishing that area. He knew he needed to be careful working around her chest region, but the thought made him even more nervous. Despite his best efforts, his hands trembled as he felt the fabric of her bra, and he accidentally prodded one of her breasts. Fuck.

"Sorry," he muttered quickly, "I can't see your, um, front side." There was only so much he could do when she sat with her back facing him, and he had to guess where everything was.

"Oh," said Lucy. "Let me turn around," she offered, and shifted so that they were facing each other.

It wasn't fair! Both his family and Ur had taught him a certain set of standards for acting like a gentleman – don't stare, be respectful, don't grab someone without their permission. But now, with her giant breasts hanging right in front of his face, all he wanted to do was break the rules. As she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to begin, a small, irking fragment of a theory crept into his brain – she knew exactly what she was doing.

He closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself. It was alright, everything was alright, this is exactly what Lucy requested, he repeated to himself. It didn't mean she had any interest in him, she'd only asked him to take care of the rest of her injuries. The rest of them just so happened to be on her cleavage.

He opened his eyes and looked down. Nope, he couldn't do it. _Damn boobs. _

The inflammation seemed to be going down from the medicine. Maybe Lucy didn't even want him to continue anymore. His voice croaked out, sounding foreign to him, "Are you sure you're comfortable with this? If not I could…" He faltered out as he realized how hot his face felt. Lucy could probably see through him like a window.

"Who knew you were so chivalrous?" she asked, smiling coyly at him. The smirk on her face could have melted his entire soul.

He hesitated for a moment and Lucy furrowed her brows. "I mean, if I was okay with it, you would be too right?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'd be fine with anything".

She pulled his hand with both of hers onto her collarbone area, then slowly guided it over the reddened area on her chest. He grazed her bra's lace once more, gently kneading and rubbing circles with his thumb. A grin arose on his face when he realized the irony – here sat in front of him the person who scolded him the most for his accidental stripping habit, taking her clothes off with unadulterated intent. Not only that - he was probably one of the few, if not the only man to touch Lucy Heartfilia's breasts with her permission.

"What are you all happy about?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Usually I'm the one taking my clothes off," he responded, feeling brave. Though he'd taken his shirt off earlier, strangely enough, she hadn't complained about it yet.

"It's-it's for the lotion…," she said, turning scarlet.

"You haven't yelled at me yet"

She appeared lost in thought for a second, then gave a little smirk and shrugged. "Well, don't make me change my mind"

Was it simply his imagination, or was she behaving with more audacity than usual too? He may be treating her burns on the outside, but on the inside, some sort of fire brewed in her. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as Lucy unbuttoned her capris, and he started second guessing everything he knew about her. In his mind, she'd always been a sweet, innocent flower. He liked everything about her, from her soft, blonde locks to her adorable pout, to her shrewd mind, to her relentless spirit. But now, a flood of different words washed over his mind when he looked at her. Alluring. Cunning. Sexy. As he marveled at how striking she was when she undressed, he realized he was not looking at her through a telescope, but rather a kaleidoscope. Tonight, he'd inadvertently turned it, and discovered a new side of her.

She turned ninety degrees to position herself better and draped her legs so that her knees crossed over his. Her pants laid there discarded on the floor, leaving her only her undergarments. A white, cotton bikini with a small black bow decorated her waistline. Gray didn't ask for permission this time and went straight to work on her lower body, starting with her ankles.

"It looks a lot better already," noted Lucy, observing her legs. She was right, Porlyusica's medicine appeared to be working wonders. He noticed the redness on her legs was barely noticeable compared to what he'd been working with on her torso.

"Shall I stop?" he asked, lifting his hands away once more.

"No," she blurted out, a little too quickly. "I-I mean…I still want you to take care of all of them. If that's alright."

Gray hesitated for a second, facing the obvious fork in the road. He didn't have to wonder what she was thinking. Being on the more sensible half of their team, they'd always flown on the same wavelength, mutual understanding bonding them together. The question was, did he want it too?

Deep in his heart, he knew he'd be lying if he said no. As he stared at the soft light falling over Lucy's body, he knew he wanted her and she wanted him. And he knew she was playing with him like a child playing with matches, determined to light some part of him on fire. But if Lucy could play the game, then he could as well. He would melt her first.

"Like this?" he said, his hands sensuously moving up and down her calf.

Lucy let out a soft whimper. "Ahh…" she breathed, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. "Exactly like that…"

Something primitive took hold in Gray when he heard her. He wasn't satisfied anymore with merely touching most of her body. He needed to explore it all. He had to know, what kind of fire would take over his body if their mouths met? What would she look like, naked underneath him? While she wasn't looking, his eyes lingered on her underwear. He imagined his hands moving up her thigh, taking them off. He thought of her spreading herself open, him burying his head between her legs…

Gray was suddenly conscious of the obvious hardness in his pants. Damn it, he thought. He needed her to be the one begging for more. In a panicked rush, he tried conjuring images in his mind of the most un-sexy things imaginable. Ichiya. That weird ass bread Juvia baked him with his face on it. Old men in swimsuits. Lucy in a swimsuit…no, fuck!

It was too late. His erection stretched his jeans tight, creating a bulge in his pants that he was sure Lucy would notice soon. He shifted around trying to hide it and she opened her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Um, just trying to get a good position for the rest of your legs," he fibbed.

"Oh, let me come closer then."

Gray did not miss the mischievous twinkle in her eye as she positioned herself in front of him, legs spread out and knees bent. He quickly folded his legs to hide his hard-on and started to work on her thighs. Now it was almost like his daydream, he was so close he could almost taste her. He weaved his fingers around her left thigh, starting from the knee. When he rubbed the area behind her knee, she breathed sharply.

"Like that?" he asked, his voice coming out lower and huskier than normal. Noticeably, she didn't seem to care anymore if the places he touched were actually burned or not.

"Maybe you should come closer too," she suggested, smiling and raising her eyebrows. Since he wasn't wearing a shirt for her to grab, she pulled on his belt loop instead. He crawled over her body, one arm supporting his weight and the other still on her thigh.

They didn't break eye contact as Gray's hands traveled up her thigh, getting enticingly close to the edge of her underwear. He circled one finger right beneath it and could feel Lucy tense up under him.

"I'm going to guess this is where you want me to be" he smirked.

Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slightly open. Adrenaline coursed through his body as he watched her, hoping she would finally give in. For a moment, he thought he'd finally outfoxed her. But her mouth curved up into a teasing smile and she responded, "No, a bit higher"

Damn, she was good. But he still had one trick left in his hat. His hands reached up and squeezed her bottom, and she let out one final, surprised gasp. He hovered over her and said with bated breath "Will that be all madam?"

She stared back for a second, her soft, chocolate eyes piercing the last solid wall around his heart. Then she pointed to the last two pieces of cloth that covered her body. "You missed a spot" she replied, with equally bated breath.

At long last, they closed the distance between them, their lips meeting each other for the first time. He started gently, anchoring himself overhead with his arms, taking care not to push against any of her burns and bruises. But Lucy parted her mouth to invite him in, and her arms wrapped around his back to pull him closer until he laid upon her. He felt her body rub against him through his boxers and instinctively groaned into her mouth. His fingers dug into her hair, and he kissed her unlike any other girl he'd kissed before, and she was kissing him back, and he couldn't believe it was real and not a hallucination…

Panting, he pushed himself off her. His mind was spinning at a million miles an hour. This couldn't be the time for games. He had to know, had to be sure that she knew where this road led.

"Lucy…," he faltered, breaking eye contact so he wouldn't be tempted again. "If-if we go any further I…I don't know how I can hold back"

She sat up too and joined him. "I know," she replied matter-of-factly, covering his hand with hers.

He felt her thumb grazing across his skin and reviewed her burns one more time. They'd faded into whispers of pale pink. Still, there were many other factors to consider.

"You haven't done this before, have you?" he asked.

She shook her head. Her eyes held a fiery gaze, and he knew whatever she was going to say next was serious. "I know I haven't, but-" she took a deep breath "-I want this. With you. Mirajane told me where to buy birth control potions, so you don't have to worry about that. And this isn't about the games or anything like that. I'm not using you as a coping mechanism. I like the way we talk to each other. I like the way you put your hands on me. And I want more, I want to know how good you can make me feel."

Shit, maybe he really was hallucinating. In a hazed confusion, he glanced at the window for a few seconds, wondering if he should punch through it and make sure. Lucy's voice pulled him back into reality.

"Gray?" she asked hesitantly.

He turned back to her, cupped her face in his hand, and pulled her chip up so their lips met. She responded enthusiastically, knotting one hand in his hair and the other behind his back. Their bodies enveloped each other like vines on a tree, ensnaring every inch of each other they could grab. In the future, Gray would never be able to determine how long they kissed each other for, he just knew that it felt like a timeless void and yet still not long enough. He reached around her back, unhooked her bra, and swiftly removed it from her upper body with the kind of skill only he possessed. Lucy broke away and covered her chest with one arm, blushing slightly.

"No need for that, princess," he said smirking. He started planting kisses on her cheeks, then moved onto her chin, and finally stopped to suck on her neck. The sighs of enjoyment from Lucy invigorated him even more, and he trailed his kisses down until he reached her pert nipple.

He could actually feel her body tremble when he lowered his cool lips around the swollen, pink ring. Lucy threw her head back and cried out in pleasure as he lightly bit her nipple. It was so satisfying, so different from the sobbing noises she was making not so long ago that Gray only wanted to make her scream louder.

As he massaged and sucked on her breasts, he gently nudged her to lie back down. She obliged, and he climbed back over her body. He used each hand to pinch at her nipples, and his tongue swirled around her areola. He listened to her whimpers until he was sure she was at her tipping point, and then he drew back, pulling her breast slightly upwards with one final nibble. Lucy clutched the covers, panting.

"Overwhelmed yet?" he asked, delighted to see her reaction.

"No," she replied, shaking her head and pushing her now tousled hair out of her face. "But what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

She grinned deviously. "Well," she said, her arm reaching down towards his boxers. "It's not fair if you don't get to have any fun."

Gray was left wordless as Lucy pulled down his underwear. At first, she grasped him very lightly, as if trying not to hurt him, but the touch was enough to make him groan.

"Tighter," he rasped.

She strengthened her grip and began stroking him up and down. Now it was Gray's turn to be pinned against the headboard and pleasured. Her hand worked him slowly at first, then gradually sped up, slowed down again until it was almost at a standstill. Then she guided her mouth to the head of his cock and gave it one, long, tantalizing lick.

Instinctively, he rolled his eyes back and could feel her tongue travel down his member and start licking the base. She licked all the way from the base to the tip, and in one swift motion enveloped half his length in her mouth.

"Fuck. Lucy…" he groaned and managed to sneak a look at her. She was now bobbing and going further down each time. After a few more strokes, he could feel himself hit her throat and moaned again. His breaths got heavier and but Lucy ignored them. Now she was swirling her tongue around him and bobbing at the same time, and using her hand to stroke the rest. He didn't think he could even last much longer if she kept this up. Regretfully, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her off him.

"Oh," she said, seeming nervous. "I thought you liked-I mean I thought you wanted-"

"I do," he reassured. "It's just that you're a bit too good at your job." He smirked and flipped on top of her again. "If you had kept going, I wouldn't be able to do stuff like this…"

He gently pinned her arms above her head with his bandaged hand and rubbed his hardened member against her belly. A moan started to escape her lips, but before it could, Gray covered her mouth with his. He wanted to catch every sound she made and feel every quiver when she moved. His other hand crept down, brushing her waistline, slowly stroking the edge of her bikini where he could feel soft curls.

"I'll need to borrow this," he said, pulling down her underwear and leaving it on the bed. How ironic it was, he thought, that on the day they'd first met he'd asked to borrow her underwear and here they were many days later. Finally, they both laid there completely stripped, full trust flowing between them.

He grazed his fingers between her folds, teasing her just a little longer. Even from the surface, he could sense how eager she was. She trembled underneath him and whimpered as he swirled one finger around her clit with varying degrees of intensity.

At last, he plunged a finger into her entrance. She groaned his name and a stream of curse words into his mouth.

He lifted his mouth from hers so she could talk freely. "What's that?" he asked, and grinned. "I didn't quite hear you". This time, he twisted his finger around inside her and tickled her upper walls.

She moaned so loudly Gray was worried everyone in the hotel would be able to hear. "Fuck-don't stop Gray," she panted. "Please…please keep…"

There was only one thing that could boost Gray's ego more than hearing Lucy beg for him, and that was feeling how incredibly wet she was. He pulled his single finger out of her and sucked the tip as Lucy watched with wide eyes. She tasted like a mixture of honey, lemon, and warm spices. Not wanting her to keep waiting much longer, he opted to insert two fingers this time. She writhed below him as he fingered her even deeper, and closed her eyes as he circled her clit with his thumb again.

He kept going for a while, but he knew she was ready. He pulled his fingers out and positioned himself carefully above her. She squeezed his hand tight as he pushed himself in her, inch by inch. She was wincing, so he after he was all the way inside he waited...thirty seconds…sixty seconds…ninety seconds…

"Gray?" piped up Lucy.

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to fuck me or not?" she demanded.

He growled as he thrust inside her for the first time, causing a whimper to escape her lips. Their rhythm started slow and gentle at first, introducing Lucy to the sensation. With every movement, she relaxed more underneath him, and eventually, he could feel her move her hips upwards to meet him.

Her hands intertwined in his hair and she pulled his face closer so she could kiss him. But her kisses easily turned into whimpers against his lips as Gray thrust even deeper. He knew she'd been through a lot tonight. But she still hadn't cum yet.

"You feel so good" she managed to gasp out in between movements.

He chuckled. "You ain't seen nothing yet," he said, timing himself to make sure Lucy's back arched at the perfect moments. He knew he was on the verge of finishing, but he had to get Lucy there before him. Like the moon to the tides, he orchestrated wave after wave inside her. Hot breaths and sweaty bodies imbued the air as Gray's thrusts became more rapid and erratic. He reached down to find her clit again and rubbed it in circles. Her legs started to shake, so she clasped her arms behind Gray's back and moaned deeply.

It was his new favorite sound in the world.

After a few more minutes of fervent instructions, a few new scratches, and some stolen kisses, he felt her let go. With a final groan, he joined her, letting the warmth take them both over.

* * *

Afterward, they laid together on the bed. Gray had one arm around her, and she rested her head on his chest. His fingers wove through her silky, blonde hair. He'd always liked playing with her hair.

"I can't believe that happened," said Lucy.

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to throw yourself at me like that," he said, chuckling.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered, burying her head under the blanket. God, she was adorable, he thought.

"Guess you aren't resistant to my charms after all"

She pushed herself up to face him. "You are the cockiest man I have ever met"

"There's no way I'm cockier than Loke. Or Natsu-" he started to argue.

"Oh god, Natsu!" she suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide.

He frowned. It was irritating how Natsu's could interfere with him when he wasn't even there. "What about him? His punk ass isn't here, and he'll be none the wiser" he said.

"His dragon nose...he'll be able to smell what happened!" she cried.

Gray's blood went cold as he realized what she meant. Lucy leaped off the bed and frantically began stripping off blankets, sheets, and pillows into a heap on the floor. Panting and rosy-cheeked, she gathered as much as she could carry, and thrust it into Gray's arms.

"We have to burn them," she said, completely serious.

"How am I going to burn them? And everyone will notice they're missing?" he said. There had to be some other way. Maybe the hotel had a washing machine. Although, then one of them would have to wait for the rinse cycle to complete, toss the sheets in the dryer, wait for that too, and dress the bed. By then, people would surely notice their disappearance.

Resigning himself to a night of laundry, Gray was about to suggest his idea instead of Lucy's pyrotechnic plan, when she said the four magic words that solved all their problems.

"Room service will have some."

"Room service!" he shouted excitedly, letting the bed sheets tumble to the floor. "Lucy, you're a genius! We can just give the old sheets to room service!"

He picked up Lucy and kissed her full on the mouth. At first, she was too surprised to respond but quickly wrapped her arms around his head, kissing him back. When they finally broke apart, he still kept his arms looped snugly around her waist. She beamed and let out a nervous chuckle.

"I thought I'd have to move kingdoms," she said.

He grinned back. "And I thought I'd have to fight Natsu to the death for real this time…guess that's for another day," he replied.

They bundled every last sheet and pillowcase and set it by the door to take out when leaving. Lucy sprayed so much perfume in the air Gray was sure the entire suite would smell like flowers for a week. He carefully examined the room, making sure every last trace of their encounter was gone. Lucy came and stood next to him, and he felt a lump in his throat dreading what he knew she'd say next.

"What are we going to do now?" she whispered.

Gray knew what she meant, but didn't want to answer. "Go to the loser's celebration, I suppose."

She gave him an annoyed glare. "You know what I mean. Where does this leave us, as friends? "

"What do you want to do?" he asked. He wasn't sure himself. One second, they were two friends going through the same torment. The next, he was on top of her, naked and breathless. Could they handle a start so volatile?

She seemed to be thinking the same thing. "I don't know," she said, biting her lip. "Shit. I'm sorry, everything moved so fast and it's all so new…," she confessed.

"I mean, I guessing since we don't want anyone to know about this-"

He didn't want to give that answer. But he also understood what had to be done at the current moment. If they stayed here, things would only get more complicated.

"-we should probably just act like nothing happened" he finished, feeling his heart sink as if iron were filling it.

She shifted her gaze away and chuckled nervously. "Yeah, Erza, Cana, Mirajane, Levy…they'd all never let me hear the end of it."

"Juvia would probably murder you in your sleep if she found out," he added, not kidding.

She nodded in agreement. There was a long, painful silence as neither of them said anything. For the first time, Gray had no idea what she was thinking. Did she want to dive in headfirst, dip her toes in, or avoid the relationship waters altogether? He didn't like the idea of either extreme. Most importantly, he couldn't handle the thought of possibly losing her friendship. He'd rather lose a thousand Grand Magic Games than lose her.

Finally, she spoke up. "You're right…maybe we shouldn't be together right now…" she said, her voice hollow and her shoulders slumping. "I don't know what I'd do if I messed this up.

If I'm not ready to tell people about us, then I'm not ready for a relationship. So, this is our secret…okay?"

"…okay" he reluctantly agreed. He wanted to tell her she didn't have anything to worry about, that she could never mess this up – but how could he say that when he had the exact same fears about himself?

He didn't know it then, or when they dumped their old sheets in the room marked 'Laundry', or on the motorcycle ride to the bar, but she didn't want to say okay either.

* * *

Gray nervously snuck a glance at Lucy. She kept a decent poker face as they both listened to Juvia's version of what they did at the hotel. His heart pounded wildly when Juvia mentioned Lucy embracing him - what if she had found out?

However, when Juvia described him pushing Lucy away because of her, he snapped back to reality.

"Not gonna happen," he affirmed. He shuddered internally at the thought of bringing up Juvia whenever he happened to be alone with another woman. He'd hoped her obsession would have subsided by now. At this point, he might have to actually confront her about it.

"As always, you've got a wild imagination," said Lucy, with a sardonic tinge in her voice. She was a better actor than he'd anticipated. Juvia seemed to relax and walked away from them.

"Gray! Get your ass over here and take a shot with me!" said a waving Natsu from the corner, who'd finally noticed them arrive.

"Lucy!" said Levy, running up to them. "You look so much better than you did earlier."

Lucy grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "In fact, I'm more fired up than ever"

"You're practically glowing! Did you take Porlyusica's medicine?" asked Levy

"Yeah, I did. I um, guess it's a side effect," fibbed Lucy.

Gray couldn't help but chuckle in secret pride. Lucy shot him a furious stare as Levy seemed perplexed. There was no way he could keep hanging around her the rest of the night without accidentally revealing something.

"Catch you later," he said, ruffling Lucy's hair. Her expression softened, and he could hear her immediately change the subject as he went to ask Lisanna about Wendy's and Carla's status.

As the night went on, he tried his hardest to act as nothing happened. However, he couldn't help steal a few glances at Lucy when he was sure no one was looking. But he always turned away as soon as she started to look back.

"Attention, everyone" slurred a very drunk Erza, knocking over three barstools to stand on the nearest table. She cleared her throat and placed one arm on a pillar to steady herself. "Today we got knocked down. But we shall never get knocked out! We still have a chance! And we are going to win the Grand Magic Games!" she announced, and raised her sword to the ceiling. The crowd roared approvingly, so loud Gray wondered if the other guilds in the city could feel the vibrations.

"What makes her so sure?" muttered Laxus, who was standing nearby and wasn't quite as hammered as the rest of the guild.

"Because she hasn't gotten to go yet," replied Mirajane, staring at Erza with a mixture of concern and admiration.

As Erza's words rung in the air, Gray underwent a rush of euphoria mixed with a bout of regret. Fairy Tail surely had a chance, but what if he had one too? He realized too late. Lucy was giving them a chance too, giving their friendship an opening to be something more. She didn't just want him to be a one-time fling. She'd been curious about exploring their relationship, and he'd mistakenly shut her down.

However, he knew that doubt existed for a reason. At this moment, neither of them were ready.

"Hey! Less daydreaming, more drinking!" snapped Cana, hitting him over the head with her mug of ale.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing the top of his head. "What the hell, Cana?"

She glared fiercely at him. "Are you still hung up on your damn match from this morning? You know in Fairy Tail, we never make the same mistakes twice!"

"Yeah, that…that was it," he lied. His gaze hardened as he looked at Lucy. He wouldn't make the mistake of letting her go again.

One day, he would work up the courage to ask her. One day, after the games were over and the adventures winded down and there was nothing to distract him, he would feel the touch of her lips again.

As he locked eyes with Lucy one last time for the night, he felt the same electric connection from earlier, and knew they both felt the exact same way. One day, when they were both ready, they would let fate bring them together again.

* * *

Disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional & I don't know what the actual, proper way to treat a burn is. In real life, please practice safe sex and get the proper treatment for injuries. Oh, and favorites, reviews, and constructive tips mean the world so please drop one if you liked it. Thanks for reading :)


End file.
